What Do You Think ....

[MylesBAstor]

deleted

 

[audioguy]

For me, it's a no/brainer: DiracLive room correction!! Not exactly a "component" but close enough!

 

[rockitman]

Turntables, arms, phono stages and speakers

 

[Mosin]

Good answers but I was looking for something a little more defined. Specifically what particular sonic attributes or characteristics of audio gear have seen the biggest improvements that hopefully bring you closer to the music.

For instance for me it might be:

Dropping the noise floor of equipment eg. Transparency
Greater linearity of equipment
Better speaker cabinet design resulting in faster settling times and less smearing of the music

I agree mostly, but question the second one because I'm not so certain that many modern amplifiers are better than those from decades ago.
Also, apply the latter to turntables and possibly other equipment, too. One thing is for sure; there has been improvement in almost all source equipment.

 

[TBone]

turntables: quieter/better isolated motors (noise floor), damped pis-tonic type suspensions (speed variances, noise floor), materials (smearing), and turntable mounts, racks and/or physical isolation devices (noise floor/smearing).
arms: materials (smearing), more precise setup facilities (sonic focus).
preamps: (transparency), remote control (not a sonic issue, but an item I covet)

all in a very generalist nutshell.

 

[rockitman]

turntables: quieter/better isolated motors (noise floor), damped pis-tonic type suspensions (speed variances, noise floor), materials (smearing), and turntable mounts, racks and/or physical isolation devices (noise floor/smearing).
arms: materials (smearing), more precise setup facilities (sonic focus).
preamps: (transparency), remote control (not a sonic issue, but an item I covet)

all in a very generalist nutshell.

Since I missed the original context, you pretty much describe my feelings.

 

[TBone]

Since I missed the original context, you pretty much describe my feelings.

strangely enough, so did I, was just about to give your first reply a +1, until I read Myles response later.

 

[the sound of Tao]

Transparency, image specificity and dynamics thanks to reductions in both electrical and mechanical noise most especially with integrated use of aftermarket electrical isolation and resonance control infrastructure eg component support, the cables, power conditioners etc.

Resolution and coherence from significant general improvements in speaker design.

General level of high quality music accessibility due to the increased range of recording and replay delivery systems.

 

[esldude]

Room correction like Dirac, Accourate etc.

The advent of computer based audio which along with convenience of your music being available also make available so many pieces of useful DSP software.

I also think lower priced equipment has improved the most in the past decade. It has the lower noise floor, increased accuracy and transparency that once cost 10x as much not so long ago. I am thinking of DAC/pre-amps, and class D amps mainly here. That with a computer and some quality speakers can put you into high quality music reproduction for not such a high price.

 

[TBone]

I also think lower priced equipment has improved the most in the past decade.

agreed, even personal music devices (although not necessarily hi-end), my Samsung Galaxy S3 can play 16/44 to 24/96 files, and sound quite convincing in the process.

 

[esldude]

agreed, even personal music devices (although not necessarily hi-end), my Samsung Galaxy S3 can play 16/44 to 24/96 files, and sound quite convincing in the process.

Yep, I rock a Galaxy S3 myself. That thing is at least two gen's old for phones. It isn't bad at all as a source for audio files.

 

[Rodney Gold]

Room correction like Dirac, Acourate and the realisation that the room is one of the most important components.. best of all , its cheap...add to that computer based music and streaming like Tidal..even cheaper
As to the rest.. nothing much has changed over the last decade

 

[LL21]

For me, certain 'obvious' elements of a system have been well designed for generations: speakers (big Infinity/Genesis, big Apogees, Rockport Sirius III, etc).

By contrast, digital, isolation, power treatment have come a LONG way imho relative to 20 years ago.

- Digital: Relative to really old digital which did seem quite hard-sounding, glare-y to me in many cases (or softer, bit more fuzzy), i think today's latest digital has come such a long way...and specifically i probably am referring to just the last 3+ years. Vivaldi, Stahl-Tek Opus, and apparently Lampi, MSB, Trinity, MBL, MPS, etc...have all come so far in just the last 3 years imho even compared with the earlier generation...

...detail retrieval, quiet effortless sense of playback, and an easy to settle into natural tonality, decay, attack, presence...a far more 'unforced' way with the music.

- Physical Isolation: There is an incredible amount of articulation that arises out of great physical isolation of an ENTIRE system that simply descends into the noise floor when i remove it. Additionally, I also found a 'decreased sense of mechanical reproduction going on'...as if the vibrations, movement not only destroy micro-details, but also seem to make the sound feel more mechanical. My personal favs: HRS, Stillpoints, Artesania, Auralex and good old fashioned mass damping (120kg of it in total!!!)

- Power/Shielding: In dense urban environments (at least mine), the benefits of a power conditioner, good grounding units and shielding have contributed to decreasing the systems noise, grunge and increased the detail and sense of effortlessness. Actually, some very similar improvements to Physical Isolation. My personal favs: Burmester 948, Tripoint, Entreq.

Ironically, the concepts of good power, shielding, grounding, isolation...are probably more basic science/more fundamental than speaker or certainly digital technology. And many smart audiophiles probably had this figured out 20 years ago. But not me...first, i have barely been in this hobby that long, and a boombox on top of an HRS platform would have been (financially) unthinkable anyway! Second, i have to admit, in building my systems over the years...i originally was too focused on just getting to be able to buy my first or second pair of speakers to think about all the (hassle, cost and extra work of) isolation, power, shielding, etc.

This all came as the system hit its next 'fully evolved status' And now i am truly glad i have learned! And there is no doubt more to come...i am thinking about balanced power at the main junction box in the near future, perhaps sometime later this year.

 

[Fitzcaraldo215]

For my life long search to better recreating the sound I hear at live (classical) concerts, there are three things that are utter breakthroughs that have matured and really taken off in the last 10 years, though their introduction and roots roots are older:

1. Discretely recorded Multichannel sound
2. DSP Room EQ, such as Dirac, which I now use
3. High resolution digital audio

There have been advances on other more traditional audio fronts, generally - speakers, amps, etc. -in the relatively mature world of high end audio. Many things are better, but that is much more glacially incremental and asymptotically limited than the three above, by comparison.

I would also add another:

4. computer audio, which makes the first three possible at unbelievably low prices relative to the upward death spiral of high end audio, while it introduces significant sound quality and playback convenience improvements on its own.

After many decades as a very senior high ender, the last 10 years have produced the greatest and most profound advances in sonic realism and, therefore, listening enjoyment I have ever heard. This is as opposed to the slow pace of any real progress via traditional methods and technologies we have endured for many decades. My sound, and ditto for the sound of my closest friends using these advances, is beyond my wildest dreams of even as little as 10 years ago.

 

[ddk]

...are the three (or four) biggest areas of sonic improvement over the last decade in high-end audio components?

A decade is a relatively short time in high end. For me the biggest positive change is the in the musicality of some high end cartridges and lower noise floor of current phono stages. Credit should also be given to some of the new tt's on market today that weren't around 10 years ago. My impression of electronics and speakers today is deteriorated sound quality, same goes for digital sources, computer audio for high end, blah! Though I heard a couple of DACs that actually sound sweeter than ever on strings.

david

 

[TBone]

Yep, I rock a Galaxy S3 myself. That thing is at least two gen's old for phones. It isn't bad at all as a source for audio files.

When it come to technology, I try not to be an early adopter. I'd probably be using the S3 today if not for a brain cramp/water damage. Obviously since fixed (that was fun), the S3 is used as my dedicated portable music player/data phone. My main phone present, is an Alcatel, which unfortunately sounds opaque/muffled compared to the S3. Actually, the S3 sounds as good, or better, compared to any past device, inc. Cowons.

 

[ack]

...are the three (or four) biggest areas of sonic improvement over the last decade in high-end audio components?

1) Significant lowering of noise in electronics
2) Faster, stiffer speaker drivers
3) Significant improvements in passive components, like crossover parts
4) Custom semi-conductors with significant drop in various distortions

 

[mep]

Lower noise floor in electronics-especially high-gain phono stages.
Better bass response in tube amps.
Higher quality LP pressings with super low noise floors.
And one for the digital brethren-digital music servers, DACs, playing back DSD files.

 

[bonzo75]

Room correction like Dirac, Accourate etc.

The advent of computer based audio which along with convenience of your music being available also make available so many pieces of useful DSP software.

I also think lower priced equipment has improved the most in the past decade. It has the lower noise floor, increased accuracy and transparency that once cost 10x as much not so long ago. I am thinking of DAC/pre-amps, and class D amps mainly here. That with a computer and some quality speakers can put you into high quality music reproduction for not such a high price.

+10

 

[bonzo75]

For me, certain 'obvious' elements of a system have been well designed for generations: speakers (big Infinity/Genesis, big Apogees, Rockport Sirius III, etc).

By contrast, digital, isolation, power treatment have come a LONG way imho relative to 20 years ago.

- Digital: Relative to really old digital which did seem quite hard-sounding, glare-y to me in many cases (or softer, bit more fuzzy), i think today's latest digital has come such a long way...and specifically i probably am referring to just the last 3+ years. Vivaldi, Stahl-Tek Opus, and apparently Lampi, MSB, Trinity, MBL, MPS, etc...have all come so far in just the last 3 years imho even compared with the earlier generation...

...detail retrieval, quiet effortless sense of playback, and an easy to settle into natural tonality, decay, attack, presence...a far more 'unforced' way with the music.

- Physical Isolation: There is an incredible amount of articulation that arises out of great physical isolation of an ENTIRE system that simply descends into the noise floor when i remove it. Additionally, I also found a 'decreased sense of mechanical reproduction going on'...as if the vibrations, movement not only destroy micro-details, but also seem to make the sound feel more mechanical. My personal favs: HRS, Stillpoints, Artesania, Auralex and good old fashioned mass damping (120kg of it in total!!!)

- Power/Shielding: In dense urban environments (at least mine), the benefits of a power conditioner, good grounding units and shielding have contributed to decreasing the systems noise, grunge and increased the detail and sense of effortlessness. Actually, some very similar improvements to Physical Isolation. My personal favs: Burmester 948, Tripoint, Entreq.

Ironically, the concepts of good power, shielding, grounding, isolation...are probably more basic science/more fundamental than speaker or certainly digital technology. And many smart audiophiles probably had this figured out 20 years ago. But not me...first, i have barely been in this hobby that long, and a boombox on top of an HRS platform would have been (financially) unthinkable anyway! Second, i have to admit, in building my systems over the years...i originally was too focused on just getting to be able to buy my first or second pair of speakers to think about all the (hassle, cost and extra work of) isolation, power, shielding, etc.

This all came as the system hit its next 'fully evolved status' And now i am truly glad i have learned! And there is no doubt more to come...i am thinking about balanced power at the main junction box in the near future, perhaps sometime later this year.

I disagree with digital. Just sounds bad to me except the Lampi, which is a different design. I wouldn't spend over 2k for other dacs and would go straight to analog.

Isolation - Shun Mook is old.

Power/shielding - Yes
DRC is much more important than the above, and apart from that Western Electrics were the first speakers made, since then everything went downhill.